Yeisy Rojas Celebrates and Embraces Her Heritage With Debut Album ‘A Mis Ancestros’

July 08, 2024

Yeisy Rojas Celebrates and Embraces Her Heritage With Debut Album ‘A Mis Ancestros’

Yeisy Rojas’ debut studio album, "A Mis Ancestros" (To My Ancestors), is a strong and powerful homage to her roots. She’s a multi-talented artist as she wears multiple hats. She’s a singer, a violinist and a composer. Her album was produced by Grammy-winning producer Gaston Joya, and it beautifully highlights the African influences there are in Cuban music. The first single "Mamá Inés," was inspired by a poem by Nicolás Guillén called "Ayer me dijeron negro" (Yesterday They Called Me Black). The song calls out racism within the Afro community. Yeisy released an official music video that shows the discrimination some people face in Cuba, even from those of the same race. She uses her art to speak out on social issues, and it's really inspiring.

Since graduating from the University in Kristiansand, Yeisy has been chasing her dream of performing at big jazz festivals and getting her album out there. She’s based in Oslo and has been working as a freelance violinist to make it all happen, playing at events across Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Thanks to her amazing talent, she received multiple invitations to perform on Norwegian national radio, which has helped her gain more recognition. In 2022, she hit a major milestone by opening the International Jazz Day Gala at Nasjonal Jazz Scene in Oslo. This successful performance motivated Yeisy to start her own International Jazz Celebration, bringing together artists from different countries to promote unity and peace through music. It's now in its second year and has become a big deal in Oslo as it’s even catching the attention of artist organizations across Norway.

Now the album’s first track, ‘Obatala,’ opens with a beautiful crying violin and an interplay with the piano, then Yeisy’s warm and soft voice comes in. This is followed by ‘Mamá Inés,’ a dynamic and rhythmic track that makes you want to dance. The song ends with a fantastic explosion of sounds, rhythm, brass instruments, and vocals. This track was even awarded the best song for the Los Angeles Film Awards 2023.

What really makes Yeisy Rojas stand out is her charisma on stage and her incredible violin skills. She takes inspiration from Cuba's rich musical heritage, blending jazz, traditional Cuban music, and classical influences with her natural sense of rhythm. Another undeniable highlight of the album is the title track, ‘A Mis Ancestros,’ which features a catchy hook at the end with background vocals, and an amazing mix of instruments but the violin steals the show once again for our greatest pleasure, almost like it has a mind of its own. The album wraps up with this haunting three-beat rhythm where the violin is front and center, then it gives way to the piano, which beautifully expresses itself. And then it all circles back to how the track started, creating this sense of completion, with Yeisy’s voice adding a really moving final touch.